ANATOMICAL, ULTRASTRUCTURAL, PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL WOOD PROPERTIES OF TWO-YEAR-OLD Eucalyptus grandis × Eucalyptus urophylla CLONES

Antonio José Vinha Zanuncio,William Gacitúa,Mario Tomazello Filho,Jorge Luiz Colodette,Paulina Valenzuela,Amélia Guimarães Carvalho,Angélica De Cassia Oliveira Carneiro

doi:10.1590/1806-90882018000200001

Antonio José Vinha Zanuncio, William Gacitúa + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-90882018000200001

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Abstract

ABSTRACT Eucalyptus wood from adult trees is used for several purposes; however, the wood of younger trees has limited use. This study aims to characterize and propose uses of two-year-old eucalyptus wood. Six two-year-old Eucalyptus grandis × Eucalyptus urophylla clones have been selected and their anatomical, ultrastructural, physical and mechanical wood characteristics evaluated. The wood of Clone A shows more robust fibers with better microfibril arrangement, resulting in better mechanical properties, and therefore, a better performance for structural use. Clone F showed a low variation of wood basic density in the radial direction, facilitating its machinability, and with the Clone B, showed a lower anisotropy, and therefore, the wood is recommended for locations with high variations of humidity. The heterogeneity of the wood characteristics of the evaluated clones confirms the need for further studies, to choose those most adequate to each use.

Highlights

The forest sector is very important for the Brazilian economy (IBA, 2015; FAO, 2015)
Clone F showed a low variation of wood basic density in the radial direction, facilitating its machinability, and with the Clone B, showed a lower anisotropy, and the wood is recommended for locations with high variations of humidity
Three two-year-old trees were selected from each of the six Eucalyptus grandis × Eucalyptus urophylla clones from Belo Oriente, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, 42o22’30 “South longitude” and 19o15’00 “West latitude”, Revista Árvore. 2018;42(2):e420201 the height and diameter of trees represented the average of settlement, the diameter varied between 10.5 and 11.4 cm and the height varied between 15.4 and 17.5 m among clones

Summary

Introduction

The forest sector is very important for the Brazilian economy (IBA, 2015; FAO, 2015). Wood is a heterogeneous material, making its use difficult (Kollmann and Côté, 1968). The anatomical and ultrastructural characteristics reflect the physical and mechanical behavior of wood (Muñoz et al, 2012; Longui et al, 2014), and its use depends on a complete survey of these features. Woods with higher basic density have higher mechanical strength and higher volume variation due to air relative moisture changes (Hein et al, 2013; Schulgasser and Witztum, 2015). Woods with low microfibril angle and higher cell wall fraction tend to be more resistant (Hein et al, 2013; Longui et al, 2014)

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